


spinning words

by ririruby



Series: tsukusora fics [1]
Category: THE iDOLM@STER, The iDOLM@STER Sidem
Genre: M/M, canon compliant TWs, ch7: model+photographer au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-03
Updated: 2020-05-27
Packaged: 2021-01-21 11:10:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21298493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ririruby/pseuds/ririruby
Summary: behind the scenes of the lives of an author and a poet.tsukusora mini fic collection
Relationships: Kitamura Sora/Tsukumo Kazuki
Series: tsukusora fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1636507
Kudos: 13





	1. poetry

**Author's Note:**

> idk how tf to use this site but i need somewhere to put the baby fics i wrote that don't cause me physical pain to reread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk how tf to use this site but i need somewhere to put the baby fics i wrote that don't cause me physical pain to reread

Sora was poetry inscribed onto sticky notes neatly folded in the pockets of Kazuki’s clothing. They waited to be discovered once he awakes, tempting him out of staying in bed all morning. Kazuki thought that the notes left for him were incredibly endearing; he wanted to yell to the heavens and tell everyone about them, but knew that Sora would get embarrassed. It remained, then, their little secret. Kazuki had always found getting up in the mornings to be a mountainous task, but knowing that he might find a poem addressed to him gave him a boost of sorts.

Kazuki was a creature of habit. Like the familiar five-seven-five of a haiku, his patterns were predictable, following the same routine every day. In the vicinity of two to three hours after Sora awoke, he'd drag himself out of bed and his day would begin. He’d make coffee - every day Sora would leave a spoonful of coffee and half a spoonful of sugar in his favourite mug next to the kettle for him before leaving for lectures in the morning - and begin the hunt for that day’s note. Often they would be haiku, but unlike the repeated five-seven-five or a regular rhyming scheme, Sora was unpredictable. He was gendai haiku in human form, seeming at first to follow a strict set of antiquated rules but never truly quite fitting to any pre-conceived notion of what he should be. He experimented with forms from all over the world; free verse, sonnets, villanelles, his longer poems finding themselves migrating from sticky notes to pieces of folded up paper. He had a way with verse that Kazuki had never had, knowing instinctively which words to pluck out of the air to create the rhythm he desired. Sora would guess which outfit Kazuki would be wearing the next day - usually guessing correctly - and tuck the note away into a pocket, or slip it into one of his clothes drawers if unsure. If ever he felt particularly playful, he would spice it up a bit; on at least one occasion he’d had the idea to stick it on a sleeping Kazuki’s forehead, another time the ceiling.

Sora wasn’t a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, but early morning lectures had forced him into the habit of waking up early every morning. As much as he teased him for it, he did sympathise with Kazuki’s utter inability to get out of bed earlier than ten in the morning. The poems were never intended to give his sleepy boyfriend a reason to get out of bed in the morning, but the accidental side-effect was much welcomed.

As Kazuki's habits changed, as he himself changed, he found himself becoming less rigid like haiku of the past, able to express his thoughts and ideas freely as Sora encouraged him to do all that time ago. Gendai haiku may steer away from rules, but they didn't ban them; Kazuki could evolve at his own pace, stick to whatever routines make him comfortable, he could keep his five-seven-five, whilst at the same time being free to try a nine-seven-nine, or even a nine-three-six.

The first time Sora had written a poem in the morning, he had been getting dressed for the day. He had just so happened to glance back at Kazuki’s sleeping figure and became overwhelmed by affection. His initial instinct was to be mortified, used to hiding his true emotions for so long, but tucked away in their little apartment he felt safe, knowing that he could express his emotions without worry. Before he’d even realised it he held in his hand a sappy handwritten haiku and felt his cheeks turn red as he remembered thinking that he could never understand why anyone would ever write a love poem when he had studied them in class. Face a shade of crimson, he had stuffed the note into Kazuki’s coat pocket and forced himself to forget that he ever did anything. Kazuki, upon finding the note, had been delighted, an uncontrollable smile working its way onto his face.

Their schedules didn't line up well, so the little messages of affection meant all the more to Kazuki. His memory was something he had great confidence in - he was known for being able to read a book once and recall entire paragraphs of text verbatim. He would really only need to read each poem once to memorise it, and yet he found himself pouring over them, reading them over and over until every brushstroke became ingrained into his memory. Kazuki was also known for being a hoarder - he had been trying to change since their apartment was small, but it was one of his comforting five-seven-fives, and Sora understood that. Despite memorising every single one of the poems and not technically needing the physical copies, he kept a little box tucked next to a line of books on one of his shelves that housed every note he found. When feeling down or being separated from Sora for a long time due to work, rereading them brought a great sense of comfort to him - he could feel the emotion behind every kanji, the thought behind every line-break and count of the mora.

When Sora came back from a long day looking visibly stressed, Kazuki would do for Sora as Sora did for him. He would hand him a comforting mug of hot chocolate - Sora liked a sprinkling of marshmallows in his - and sit down on the sofa next to him, allowing his presence to be felt. Sora’s head would come to rest on his shoulder whilst Kazuki ran his fingers through Sora's hair. Kazuki would then begin to reply to the day’s poem; each individual character is checked and double-checked in his head until he had a fully formed idea of what he wanted to say, how he wanted to express his affections for Sora as Sora did for him. His own shoddy poetry was workshopped from Sora's; he would use the same metaphors or form but alter it until Sora became the subject matter instead. It never failed to bring a soft smile to Sora's face, the tension visibly draining from his shoulders as he reached over to take Kazuki’s free hand and allowed his eyelids to slide shut. The freedom of gendai haiku meant that if the poet would like, they could still follow a five-seven-five whilst being themselves, and sometimes the reassuring repetition of rhythm was nice - just as Kazuki was allowed to sleep through the mornings, Sora was granted his late-afternoon naps.

Kazuki didn’t have a knack for poetry as Sora did, but he was living with a poet, so there was no harm in him trying his hand at it.


	2. write for someone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sidem ship week day4 - Wfs

Sora was being paid to hold a pretty guy’s hand.

Well, that wasn’t exactly accurate, he was being paid to play a starring role in an action drama movie about people with the power to write and affect the world around them. It was just that one of the scenes, the climax in fact, was a scene in which he had to take the hand of arguably the prettiest guy in the entire production, if not the prettiest guy he’d ever seen. It was a little overwhelming, if he was honest. Kazuki liked the things he liked, and was an overall kind person, so Sora couldn’t help but feel a little something for him, right? How could anyone not like Kazuki was the real question... or so he told himself. He was sure he would get over it soon enough, and be able to resume his life without the distracting thoughts about kissing the other invading his mind at the most inopportune moments.

He hadn’t thought much of the hand-holding at first. When reading the script, he could tell that it was supposed to be a dramatic moment, and as such had only focused on how best to deliver his lines in order to draw out the correct emotions from the audience. When he came face to face with Kazuki for the first rehearsal, however, it had been a different story.

Kazuki had smiled with a tilt of the head as an outstretched hand made its way towards Sora.

“...Give me your hand.” He spoke calmly and clearly, keeping their eye contact throughout.

Sora had frozen solid. His brain, in that instant, had just completely shut down. He felt confused and dizzy in equal parts. Kazuki had waited a moment before blinking and further tilting his head with a panicked ‘...Are you okay, Sora-san?’ directed towards him.

“S-sorry, I think I overheated for a second there~.” Sora let out a light, albeit forced, laugh. He felt bad for lying, but he couldn’t exactly admit the truth; it would be mortifying.

Kazuki came closer to Sora, placing one hand on his back, the other seemingly ready to catch him if he took a turn for the worse. He directed him towards a chair, prompting him to sit down.

“...It is quite stuffy in here. I’ll open a window,” He passed Sora his water bottle. “Make sure you drink a lot of water, and please tell me if you think it’s going to happen again.”

Sora nodded, unscrewing the cap and drinking whilst Kazuki let some air in.

What it would be like for Kazuki to extend his hand to him outside of acting? To take his hand with that soft smile. To gently place a hand on his cheek and lean in for a kiss. To fall asleep entangled in his arms.

Sora let out a sigh. He couldn’t wait until he got over Kazuki.


	3. falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sora goes to a friend for advice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sidem ship week day 2 - falling in love

Kamiya stood on his tip-toes, tong in hand as he gently pried his carefully picked box of tea down from the top shelf behind the counter. Red berries, a slightly sweet and refreshing taste with a strong aroma, packed with additional ingredients that made for a soothing effect. As for a tea for himself… a good cup of earl grey sounded about right. He brewed the two teas, humming as he did so. Once ready, he set them down on a tray alongside matching cups and saucers from an Alice in Wonderland set he’d felt compelled to buy.

Kamiya picked up the tray, carrying it as he’d done many times before, and carried it to one of their private booths, something he had decided to invest in after becoming an idol and suddenly having quite a few famous customers. The boy in the booth looked up as he sat the tray down, gently setting out the teapots and cups.

“Thank you, Yukihiro-san~”

“No worries,” He smiled widely. “I think you’ll like this blend, it should take some of the weight from all of that studying off of your shoulders.”

A few months prior, Kamiya, when trying to find his way back to the lesson room, had instead found Sora studying fervently in a room even he hadn’t (accidentally) found before. Crammed into a tiny storage room with no desk, dim lighting, papers littering the floor, and an empty can of coffee crushed next to his foot, it was quite the sight to stumble across. After Sora had explained that travelling back to his campus was too time-consuming and too expensive, Kamiya had offered his cafe as a studying space for him; he’d had many a student studying there before. Sora had been hesitant to take the offer at first, worrying about taking up space, but with Kamiya’s encouragement he’d soon taken him up on the offer and had become a regular at the cafe. Kamiya had insisted on free refills for his drinks, and would often bring him samples of new cakes they were experimenting with, making sure he was well-fed whilst working.

“I wanted…” What did he want, actually? He wasn’t entirely sure. “Advice, or just someone to talk to, I guess~.”

“I’m all ears, Sora-kun,” Kamiya began to pour his tea into his cup. “Anything you say may remain between us, if you’d like.”

Sora smiled gratefully in response, pouring his own tea and tasting a sip of it.

“Oh~? What a pleasant aroma, this one is rather tasty, Yukihiro-san~.”

“I’m glad you think so.” Kamiya beamed.

The two sat in silence for a moment, sipping at their respective cups of tea, Kamiya making sure not to rush Sora into talking about whatever it was he wanted to discuss with him.

Finally, Sora took a deep breath, and spoke.

“I have… feelings for him… for Kazuki-sensei~.”

“Oh! How wonderful, he’s a very sweet person, have you told him yet?” Kamiya looked delighted, the two were rather close after all, as he’d discovered when he went camping with them and Tsubasa.

“I haven’t told him, no. It’s...” Sora trailed off, looking down at his hands.

Kamiya tilted his head to the side.

“It's…?”

“It's gross, right? I'm sure he'll hate me, think I'm disgusting~. He'll never speak to me again~...” Sora looked up and smiled a defeated smile.

Kamiya’s face morphed into surprise, then pity.

“Sora-kun… That’s not the case at all,” Kamiya spoke gently, brow furrowed “It isn’t disgusting in the slightest, it’s human, and Kazuki-kun would never hate you for something like that.”

“No, he’ll… hate me, for sure. And even if he didn’t, there’s no way someone like him could… well, you know~” Like him back.

“Why do you think that?” Kamiya kept his voice calm and level, knowing that this had to be all in Sora’s head. Nothing he was saying matched up with the real Kazuki that he knew.

“I… I don’t know, he just would, I know it~.”

“What do you like about Kazuki-kun?” Kamiya asked, trying to approach the situation from a different direction. “What is it that makes you feel the way you do?”

“Well, he’s incredibly kind, funnier than you might think, and accepting~. Most people push me away when I try to give them advice, but when I said I thought he should live more honestly, he took it to heart~. That meant a lot to me~.” A light smile made its way onto Sora’s face, and Kamiya nodded.

“Does that sound like the kind of person who would be offended by your feelings?”

“Well, no, but~...”

“You asked him to live honestly, so don’t you think you should do the same?”

Sora paused, lost in his thoughts. He valued and strived towards honesty, wishing to live as himself and to be accepted for it. He had told Kazuki to do so, but even still, it was terrifying. After hiding his true self from the world for ten years, opening up and showing vulnerability was a tremendous task. He still felt compelled to hide things from even his unitmates and the Producer, a near-constant state of unease hanging over him. Even so, he had to try, right? Surely it would feel good to at least get it off of his chest instead of sitting on his feelings and never being true to himself.

“...You’re right, Yukihiro-san~. I’m being a hypocrite, huh~.” Sora exhaled slowly, and relaxed his shoulders, letting out a light laugh.

“You shouldn’t feel bad for being hesitant though! It’s difficult to open up about these things. If you’re still not sure, I could always ask him if he likes anyone before you talk to him about it.” Kamiya smiled, taking a sip of his tea. Sora followed suit, having forgotten about the cup in his hands. Luckily it was still warm, the soothing effect working its way through his body.

“Thanks, Yukihiro-san. I’ll need a little more time to build up the courage, but I think I’ll try~.” Sora shook his head before continuing. “No, I have to try~. I’d regret it if I didn’t.” As Sora smiled, Kamiya noticed how much more relaxed he looked now, happy to have eased his worries somewhat.

“I’m glad I could help you,” Kamiya poured himself another cup of tea. “Now, drink up and tell me all about this crush of yours.”


	4. gift giving

Kazuki was an awful shopper who couldn’t be trusted alone, Sora had learned. He was easily swayed by things he didn't need or particularly want and his purse strings were loose to match. They made for an odd duo; Sora was a student who liked to spend as little as possible, whereas Kazuki was an impulse buyer who fell prey to even the worst of marketing tactics. The first time Sora had asked Kazuki to go grocery shopping alone after moving in together, he had deeply regretted it. Instead of following a meal plan and buying the ingredients necessary for said meals, Kazuki seemed to have bought enough food for over double the amount of meals they needed that week, leaving their tiny kitchen swamped with a dozen or so shopping bags to the point where Sora wasn’t even sure how he’d managed to get it all home. After sorting through the food, he had made Kazuki take everything they didn't need to a charity, not wanting the leftovers to go to waste. Ever since that fateful day, Sora had placed himself in charge of grocery shopping and tried to bring Kazuki around to his ways of shopping thriftily, drilling it into his brain that he should only buy the things they actually needed. It was mostly successful when it came to their groceries, he could now trust Kazuki to do errands and occasionally follow a strict shopping list and budget when Sora was too busy with university work to buy groceries himself.

His bad habits had continued with his personal shopping though, he continued to buy almost every novelty pen he laid his eyes onto, but Sora was proud that he wasn't quite as bad as he had been. Kazuki's shopping frenzies were endearing in their own way. Sometimes he just wanted to try new foods and just didn't go about it the right way, wanting to buy every single different brand of the same item before deciding if he liked it or not. Sora was sure he had felt actual physical pain when he saw that Kazuki had bought a lot of fresh fruit, but making smoothies together and experimenting with the fruits’ different flavours had been a lot of fun. Sora found himself being constantly surprised by gifts, given without prompting simply because the item in question had reminded Kazuki of him, or because he thought Sora would like it. He did the same with Daigo and Ryo, Sora thought it was incredibly sweet of him to always be thinking about his friends and wanting to make them happy. He’d received various penguin themed items including a cozy hat and a travel mug, Kazuki often finding matching otter themed items for himself. While he wouldn't usually trust Kazuki to buy clothes either (what his obsession with flaunting his collarbone all the time was, Sora would never know), he was very thoughtful when it came to buying clothes for Sora. He'd been given a few warm and practical jumpers that were a different style he hadn’t tried before, but he found himself really falling for them, feeling embarrassingly warm and fuzzy inside when he thought about how Kazuki knew his taste in clothing better than Sora did himself.

Sora felt bad knowing that he couldn't gift back as frequently as he was gifted to, but Kazuki had eased those worries and adored anything Sora gave him, rushing to use or wear it right away, overflowing with enthusiasm. Although they seemed obvious, books were a difficult choice. Kazuki had read so many that finding something he’d like and hadn’t already read was near impossible, so Sora instead resorted to finding stationery. He’d happened upon a series of mushroom-themed stationery with whimsical and detailed illustrations one day and bought the entire line, cursing Kazuki for influencing him as he did so. Kazuki’s reactions had been a delight to watch, Sora was sure he had seen his eyes practically sparkling at one point. Inspired by Kazuki’s love of stationery, Sora had bought a notebook with a blank cover and spent days secretly illustrating the entire cover, both front and back. It was themed around camping, a sprawling forest full of wildlife surrounding a small tent with an even smaller Kazuki sitting next to it, taking the ambiance in. He’d found the process of creating it to be relaxing and used it to destress from university work, knowing that Kazuki would love it even if it were riddled with mistakes. He’d handed it over with a smile to a shocked Kazuki who had held it delicately, carefully turning it around in his hands, fearing damaging it. Sora hadn’t even been able to finish asking him if he liked it before he was answered with the warmest, tightest hug he’d ever been given.

As they rarely got an opportunity to work together, giving omiyage to each other had become one of Sora's favourite customs; he'd think extra hard about what would be best to give to Kazuki, occasionally asking for advice from his unitmates. He was proud of the fact that he had locked down on Kazuki’s taste in sweets so that anything he brought back from his travels would go down well. Alongside the regular omiyage, Sora had started taking up to three photographs with every job he did, printing them out as an additional gift to show Kazuki where he had been and what he had been doing. Kazuki had soon followed suit, and together they had started to create a small collection of photographs gifted from one to the other, framing some, but keeping most in a scrapbook. The gifts were nice, and Sora would never try to outright stop Kazuki from spoiling his friends, but the photographs and stories they exchanged were just as special to Sora. Both the photographs and the gifts were mementos to the other, something that said “this reminded me of you” or “I missed you”, assurance that they were thinking about each other no matter how far apart they were. While Sora had helped Kazuki’s impulse control when it came to grocery shopping, Kazuki had rubbed off on Sora, as he found himself buying up otter or mushroom themed items on a whim, his mind idly wandering to his boyfriend. Yes, Kazuki’s shopping habits were exasperating at times, but Sora couldn’t bring himself to dislike them.


	5. i know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from https://shindanmaker.com/375517 "貴方はtsksrで『うん、知ってる』をお題にして140文字SSを書いてください。" / "write a fic around the theme/phrase 'yeah, I know'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is old and i do not like it

"...I love you."

A thumb gently brushed across his cheek, making slow, repetitive motions. A fond smile was worn on the other's face, barely visible in the dim room. His eye (the visible one, that was) locked with Sora's, and didn't waver for a second. Everything about him was open, genuine. Sora felt his heart race.

He knew Kazuki well. He knew that he was telling the truth, but deep down, he couldn't help but question it. Why would anyone, let alone someone as kind and beautiful as Kazuki, love him. Wasn't he unlovable; doomed to a life of loneliness and deceit?

Kazuki, ever perceptive, took a hold of his hands, diverting his attention away from the self-destructive thoughts. He drew one of Sora's hands to his body, placing it palm-first on his own chest. It was beating erratically, just as his own was.

"...I really do. I love you, Sora-san."

/

Hidden behind the side of the building, Kazuki pulled Sora into a tight embrace, taking in everything from the scent of his hair to the texture of his clothes.

"...I'll miss you."  
"I'll only be gone for a week, Kazuki-sensei~. And we can call every night~." Sora's hand traced up to in-between Kazuki's shoulderblades, rubbing it in small circles.  
"...It's not the same."  
"Yeah, I know..." Sora sighed. "I'll miss you too~. We can get dinner when I get back or something?"  
"...Sounds good," Kazuki pressed a kiss into Sora's temple. "I love you, enjoy the shoot."  
"I will~."

/

Kazuki grumbled at the feeling of the bed underneath him moving, opening his eyes to glare in the general direction of the culprit. That just made everything worse, he discovered, as sunlight from a small gap in the curtains beamed directly into his eyes, illicting a pained groan. A light laugh came from the mystery culprit, who adjusted the curtains so that no more light would peek through.

"Sorry for waking you, Kazuki-sensei~," He was honestly sorry, as much as Kazuki's inability to cope with the early hours was endearing it *was* ridiculously early, so he felt bad for waking him. "I have an early class, and I have to print off my report in the library first~..."

Sora leaned over, petting Kazuki's head softly, hoping to lull him back to sleep.

"...It's 'kay..." He mumbled, letting his eyes close again, to which Sora smiled and started getting ready.

After making himself presentable enough for the outside world, Sora passed by the bed again to slip his phone into his pocket, surprised when a hand grabbed ahold of his wrist. Sora turned around to see a still very not-awake Kazuki squinting at him from under the covers, grip irontight.

Before he could say anything, Kazuki tugged on his hand, pushing himself up at the same time as he pulled Sora down into a brief kiss. Kazuki flopped back down onto the pillows, hand still holding Sora's wrist and eyes beginning to close again, a sleepy smile on his face.

"...I love you."  
"Yep, I know~."


	6. mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kazuki is awful at waking up early

Sora awoke to the sound of his phone's alarm, rolling over to turn it off and check the time. It was 7 am, sunlight had just begun to filter through the curtains, and he could hear birds faintly chirping in the distance. He had stayed the night at Kazuki’s place on a whim, not feeling like spending the rest of his evening alone in the apartment he shared with his brother. Sitting up, he looked down to see a pile of limbs that formed a vaguely Kazuki-shaped entity on the bed next to him. He smiled at his surprisingly cute sleeping face, his bangs messily splayed out on the pillow. He tried to wake the other up without success, shaking his shoulders and poking his cheeks. Internally apologising for what he was about to do, Sora stood up to wrench the curtains open and switch on the lights before tugging the bedsheets off of his peacefully sleeping boyfriend and perching on the side of the bed again.

“...Mmmghhh…”  
“Good morning to you too, Kazuki-sensei~” He chirped, watching Kazuki sleepily grab at the pillow, clutching it to his face.  
“...Mnng…”

Sora sighed fondly, he couldn't say he didn't find this endlessly amusing and endearing every time it happened. One of his favourite things that he'd learned from dating Kazuki was that the beautiful, cool and mature Kazuki Tsukumo was just awful at getting up in the mornings. He was always embarrassed about it later, and gave Sora permission to use any means necessary to get him out of bed on time no matter how much he struggled. How he ever managed to get to the office on time on his own was a complete mystery to Sora. On most days the bright light from the open curtains would be enough to wake him up, but it was winter, sunlight was minimal, and Kazuki didn’t seem to be getting up any time soon. Resisting the urge to pet his hair in case it made him fall asleep again, Sora tugged at the pillow Kazuki had in his death grip, loosening the other's fingers until he let go of it, tossing it a few feet behind him upon his victory. Sensing that Kazuki had almost given up his battle as he lay face down lifelessly on the mattress with a light groan, Sora tugged on his shoulder until he reluctantly rolled over and faced the ceiling (and the bright light) with a small, defeated noise, squinting. Sora leaned down to place a kiss on his nose before leaning back and smiling at him.

“Good morning, Kazuki-sensei~”  
“...Mhmmgh...”  
Taking hold of his hands, Sora helped him sit up as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Once he was upright, Sora burst out laughing.  
“...Mngh… What's the matter?”  
“Your hair is a mess~. Maybe I should ask one of the birds outside if it wants a place to stay~.”

The downside to having such long bangs was that they were incredibly impractical; Kazuki usually had a pretty bad bedhead, but the extra fight he had put up that morning and where he had rubbed the sleep out of his eyes had only made matters worse; his bangs were now sticking out in every direction imaginable. He fruitlessly tried patting at unwieldy strands to push them down, only for them to pop right back up again. Gesturing for Kazuki to sit tight and playfully warning him not to go back to sleep, Sora fumbled around on the bedside table for a comb and began to gently tease the knots out of the tangled orange mess. They sat there in silence, Sora concentrating as sat cross-legged opposite Kazuki, trying to ease his hair back into place pain-free. After finishing the front with the comb, he absentmindedly ran his fingers through it under the guise of double checking that he'd gotten all of the knots out. His fingertips journeyed down and softly traced his jawline, lingering there while he spaced out, thinking back to all of the times he had claimed that there was no way Kazuki could ever like him before Kazuki had eventually asked him out on a date. How far they’d come, he thought, now he was sorting out his bedhead after sharing a bed with him for the night. He was glad that they had finally been able to get together after months of mutual pining and advice of varying quality from their respective friend groups and unit members. Kazuki tilted his head curiously at his silence, causing Sora to jump a little and draw his hand back, only now realising that he was still brushing Kazuki’s jaw with his fingertips.

“N-now turn around, I'll check the back too~...”

Kazuki did as he was told wordlessly, and Sora continued to brush the remaining tangled threads out of his hair. Once done, he set down the comb and wrapped his arms around Kazuki's waist from behind.

“Are you awake now, Kazuki-sensei~?” he teased, burying his face into Kazuki's neck with a smile.  
“...Yeah.”  
“Good morning, Kazuki-sensei~”  
“...Good morning.”


	7. model/photographer au

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> model kazuki photographer sora au! like everything here i discovered this in my drafts like 95% complete so i finished it off..

“I’m Sora Kitamura, I’ll be your photographer today~. I look forward to working with you~.” A smile and an outstretched hand reached Kazuki, who took the hand, bowing his head.

“...Kazuki Tsukumo. Thank you for coming.”

“My pleasure~. Now, if you can go with Kumiko-san here, she’ll be applying your makeup for today~.”

Not that he would need much makeup, Sora mused. What showed of his model’s skin was flawless, and even though he didn’t really care about those sorts of things he still found himself being a touch jealous. He waved as the other was escorted away, and started about a brief tour of the location whilst waiting, keeping an eye out for any landmarks he thought would help his shots pop.

The shoot location was a park full of trees dyed in a brilliant autumn orange, and the lighting conditions would be just so when the shoot began that the sun would gently filter through the leaves. It wasn’t a particularly interesting shoot, with it just being an advertisement for a clothing brand, but Sora at least felt inspired by his surroundings, and he would never let himself give anything less than his best for any shoot. He took note of a bench and lampost that might be interesting features while taking in the relaxed atmosphere.

By the time he had made his way back to the makeshift preparation area, the stylist and makeup artist were just finishing up, and so he flitted between the small crew, double-checking that everything was in order before asking everyone to move towards the first shot location he’d picked out. As they walked, he drew closer to the model, smiling politely once he caught his attention.

“So, have you been modeling for very long~?” He tilted his head curiously. It was a tried and tested method, talking to his models. By getting them to relax and feel comfortable with him, his shots improved dramatically, or so he thought. Perhaps the casual viewer would hardly be able to tell the difference, but something about them softened into something much more amicable.

“...A few months.”

“Interesting~.” His model was pretty quiet, it seemed. “Do you have any other interests or hobbies~? I like to consider them whilst shooting~.” He felt like an explanation was in order or else he worried he’d seem creepy. 

“...Reading. I read a lot.”

“Oh~? So do I~” he hummed contently “I was a literature student, actually, so I’ve read a lot of different things~. Any favourite genres~?”

“...Not really, I like anything. What about you?” If he picked up on the somewhat drastic change from literature student to photographer, he didn’t mention it, which Sora appreciated.

“Mysteries are pretty fun~. I’m open to pretty much anything though~.”

They continued to idly chat until they reached the shooting location, where Sora began to direct people to their places. Kazuki was first told to stand next to the lampost, partially obscured behind it with a hand lightly resting on its surface, head tilted just so towards it. 

Once everyone was in position and Kazuki was adequately lit, a far more serious Sora began to shoot, asking for little adjustments in his pose or facial expression between shots, Sora himself moving around him as he did so. After confirming that he was done with this section of the shoot, the model’s outfit was switched out and they began to shoot again, starting in the same pose before gradually changing it up as he was given various props to hold from bags to a leaf daintily covering his mouth. At this, Sora asked him to hold that pose whilst someone put a beanie hat on him and fixed his hair. Sora moved closer, changing his angle a little and twisting the zoom for a close-up shot with a cover image in mind, perfectly framing Kazuki in the shot in a way that would make the viewer want to see more of the shoot.

Sora smiled to himself as he checked the shots he’d taken. This model was perfect for the shoot location and he wasn’t fussy in the slightest so he was enjoying himself quite a bit more than he had thought he would with this job. He’d be having more fun, of course, if he could shoot him however he wanted without having to keep the commissioner in mind, but just having fun didn’t pay his rent.

“I think we’re done here~. Let’s pack up and move on to the next location, it’s a short walk from here~.”

\--

“...Sora Kitamura…” Kazuki mumbled to himself as he examined the photographs he’d been sent. They were stunning, really; on a whole other level compared to all of his past shoots. The brand they were working for would be thrilled, he was sure. Of course, the other members of staff had all played a role in creating the images, but the photographer had the most control over them, from the shoot locations to the tiny tweaks in lighting to pushing his bangs _just_ a few millimetres to the left or right. He’d enjoyed his company as well, his kind smile and relaxed attitude had made him feel comfortable as compared to some of the older photographers he’d worked with, who had made it clear that he cared very little for him and his inexperience. The photographer sharing a hobby with him made everything better, as having someone to mindlessly ramble with about his favourite books had been exhilarating. 

Come to think of it, he _was_ in need of an update to his portfolio of work his agent used to get him work, and after seeing the results of this shoot he couldn’t think of a better person to handle that. His heart felt full when thinking about being able to talk to the other again, surely just because he enjoyed the conversations they’d had that just that much. 

His mind continued to be preoccupied by the photographer for the next few days before he was able to bring up the idea of hiring him for a personal shoot. His agent had agreed with his point about the quality of the photographs, and, after Kazuki had brought him up on multiple occasions, had told him they’d try to book him to update his portfolio.

\--

A few weeks later, and Kazuki found himself alone in a studio with Sora and a makeup artist who had already applied the necessary makeup to his face and was now playing with her phone in the corner of the room. Even without any of the extra crew members he’d had last time, Sora seemed completely in control of things, fiddling with the lighting before taking his place in front of Kazuki to begin the shoot.

“So, you liked me that much, huh~?” He laughed, adjusting the focus and zoom.

“...Your photos were phenomenal.”

“I’m glad you think so~.” He smiled, pressing the shutter. “Read any good books lately~?”

“...Yes, actually…”

Kazuki began to weave words together as he enthusiastically explained the charms of the latest books he’d read; without giving too much away, of course. Sora was mostly silent, just smiling and nodding in response as he moved around the room, shutter clicking at a remarkable speed. Occasionally he’d ask a question or two, and Kazuki would reply with even more fervour than before. It was rather endearing, Sora thought, the way his eyes (he assumed it was both, although he could only see one) lit up as he talked about his favourite parts of each book. He seemed to have already grasped Sora’s taste in literature and was recommending books based on bits he thought Sora would like, which was incredibly endearing. Despite being quiet at first, he couldn’t stop talking once he got started, and that passion made for some rather nice ‘off-mode’ style shots, depicting him in a different light. His smiles were warm and genuine, the shots didn’t feel too ‘professional’ with the way he was acting, but they had their own charm nonetheless. Sora had been hired to do a job, however, and so he decided to take over the conversation, slowing it down to a more casual pace as he got Kazuki to hold various poses that would best make use of his features. His smiles were still as warm and genuine as before, but they held more of a laid-back, comfortable feeling this time. He liked both, but he felt more attached to the first, even if they weren’t as likely to be used.

They continued shooting, chatting amicably about the novels Sora had studied for his degree for what felt like hours. No matter how obscure the book Sora brought up, Kazuki would reply earnestly and full of knowledge, able to pick quotes out of thin air when discussing them with him. Just how much he read Sora had no idea, he almost felt as if he should list every book he had ever read to see if there was even a single one that Kazuki himself hadn’t read. 

Glancing over at the clock, Kazuki realised that their session was almost over, much to his dismay. This barely felt like work at all, he was enjoying himself so much. With a rush of adrenaline and a racing heart, he waited for Sora to take the photo he was currently lining up of Kazuki casually leaning his chin on his hand before stretching and smiling.

“...Our time is up, but are you free after this? I’d like to talk to you more.” The smile Kazuki shot at Sora, not at his lens this time but at _Sora_ caused his heart to stir in a way he really wished wasn’t happening. Kazuki really was pretty; too pretty for him, that was for sure.

“A-ah, yes~. This is my only job for the day, actually~...” He managed back a weak smile of his own.

“...In that case, would you like to get some lunch? It’s late, I imagine you’re hungry by now.”

“I am pretty hungry actually, you’re right~. I know of a pretty cozy cafe around here, actually~.”

“...That sounds great. Let’s go at once.”

“Fufu, how eager~. I do have to pack up first though~”

\--

The two had made their way to the book cafe Sora had suggested much sooner than Sora had anticipated, thanks to Kazuki’s unsolicited help with the packing up and moving of equipment despite Sora’s insistence otherwise. He really was impossibly kind, it seemed.

After ordering their drinks and food - Kazuki had gotten a hot chocolate, which Sora had to admit was pretty cute, as he’d pegged him for the black coffee with no sugar type - they sat down by a window overlooking the park they’d shot at a few weeks prior. The leaves had mostly fallen by now, a blanket of orange and brown coating the ground like the snow that was to come in the following months. It was growing cold, but the cafe radiated a particular warmth that melted the cold away in an instant.

Sora had picked up a light novel of some kind to peruse whilst in the cafe, whilst Kazuki had chosen a worrying five thick books (just how long did he think they were going to be there!?) that he had excitedly announced his shock at seeing in the cafe, as they’d been out of print for six months with no signs of being reprinted any time soon. By the time Kazuki had finished telling Sora about the rumours that hung around the publisher and how they and the author had apparently had a huge falling out that had only increased the series’ cult-like status and success, their food and drink had been brought to them with a smile. Sora had to admit he was pretty jealous of Kazuki’s hot chocolate compared to his own basic latte, sporting a good three inches of whipped cream sprouting from the top of the glass with a healthy serving of marshmallows and chocolate powder, and even some sort of pretty shiny powder on top to finish it all off. Sora took a sip of his coffee in silent jealousy whilst Kazuki continued the tale, promising himself that he’d order a hot chocolate the next time he visited. Who knew, maybe it could even be with the completely out of his league model again.

“...I really enjoyed today. I’d like to do this again sometime, if it’s alright with you?”

“Y-Yeah, of course~. Let me give you my,” His voice cracked, and Sora knew he would be thinking about that for the next two weeks at _least_. “My personal phone number…?” 

“...That’s a great idea, let’s exchange numbers then.”

\--

“You seem distressed, Kitamura. What happened?”

“Well, actually…” He fiddled with a pen as he spoke. “I went for lunch and coffee with the model from yesterday, and I got his number…”

Amehiko raised an eyebrow with a knowing smirk. “Well, what’s the matter then?”

“...He’s kinda perfect. He’s super pretty and kind, he rambles about his favourite books, and last night he texted me an entire list of novels that he thought I’d like, and his smile looks like an otter’s smile which I didn’t even know was possible, and have I said he’s really pretty yet? And-” He stopped abruptly, burying his bright red face in his hands.

“That deep, huh?”

Sora just groaned from underneath his palms in return.

\--

_Click-_

Kazuki looked up, a little confused.

“Ah, this isn’t for work or anything, it’s just…”

The ‘for me’ went unsaid, but if his smile was anything to go by, Kazuki seemed to get the message anyway. It had been a few months since their original shoot together, and this was their seventh outing to the same little cozy book cafe. They were… well, they were something. Not quite friends, but not quite anything more, both unsure of when to classify themselves as such.

“...It’s fine, did you get a nice picture?”

Sora’s shoulders relaxed, and he turned the camera around to Kazuki after hitting a few buttons.

“...It’s wonderful,” He gave a warm smile, pointing at a part of the photo whilst avoiding touching the screen. “I like the blurred background with this lighting, it’s cozy and intimate.”

Sora’s cheeks tinted slightly darker at the comment, agreeing with how… intimate it felt.

“I’m glad you think so~.” He returned his camera to his lap. “The lighting in here has a really nice warm tint to it, it works well with your hair~.”

Kazuki adjusted himself in his chair and leaned forward, hand reaching out to overlap Sora’s, his thumb beginning to gently brush over Sora’s knuckles in calming, repetitive motions.

“...You suit these kinds of warm colours as well.”

Unable to say anything in return in fear of stumbling over his own words, Sora used his free hand to take a sip of hot chocolate with an appreciative smile.

\--

As winter began to melt into spring, on the cusp of new beginnings and hopes, streets still empty due to the remnants of winter chill, Sora found himself experiencing his first kiss outside of the cafe they frequented.

Kazuki had asked first, bashful but with a determined glint in his eye that said that he had been working up the courage to do so for weeks, and Sora had fumbled out a “Y-Yes?” as Kazuki had taken one of Sora’s hands in his, using the other to gently cup his cheek as if he were as delicate as the ice sculpture they had taken a photo together in front of during another one of their outings a week prior. Until then, Sora’s hands and face had been numb from the remaining icy breeze, but as Kazuki leaned in, for a brief moment everything was unbearably warm.

\--

Sora leaned on the rail, looking out into the distance, the sound of waves crashing against the shore the only sound in the stretch of coast the two occupied, wind playing with Sora’s hair as a gentle smile made its way onto his face.

_Click-_

He jumped, hearing the familiar sound of a shutter going off, and turned around to face the noise. In front of him, Kazuki, standing holding his phone up with a serious expression on his face. Seeing Sora’s confused reaction, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind his ear before tilting his head and lowering his phone.

“...Sorry, should I have asked first? I can delete it if you’d like.”

Sora blinked.

“Oh, no, I was just… surprised, I guess~? Why would you want to take pictures of me~?” Sora laughed nervously.

“...You looked at peace, glowing against the warm sun, it was a beautiful sight. I wanted to preserve that… I think. Photography is nice.”

Sora felt his face begin to heat up. Kazuki raised his phone again, turning the screen around to show Sora the photograph he’d taken. It wasn’t the best, considering how low quality phone cameras were, but he seemed to have some sort of natural affinity for taking good pictures. Perhaps it was his experience with modelling that made him well-acquainted with framing. Sora moved closer, slipping his camera from its place around his neck to around Kazuki’s with a grin.

“If you want to try photography out, at least use something better than that phone~.”

He wrapped his arms around Kazuki’s waist from behind and guided his hands to the DSLR, his cheek lightly pressed against the other’s as he gave a quick explanation of the basic functions.

“This button brings up the grid, a general guideline is to try to line the horizon up onto one of these lines, or-” He rambled on and on, Kazuki attentively taking in his every word.

After a quick crash course in the basics of photography given in perhaps a slightly more unconventional way than most traditional courses, Sora let go of Kazuki (much to his dismay) and encouraged him to start taking pictures with the things he’d learned. He snapped a few pictures of the landscape around them, with Sora leaning into him after every shot to see, praising the shots and offering a little advice after every click of the shutter. It didn’t take more than ten shots for the camera to swing in Sora’s direction again.

“Me again~? I look too stiff in front of a camera, Kazuki-sensei~. I’m not the best subject to practice on~.”

“...In that case, why don't you try talking to me about some things you like?” Kazuki smiled softly, bringing the camera up to his eye expectantly. “A great photographer once told me that that’s how he gets his subjects to relax.”

“Something I like, huh~” Sora looked off into the distance. “Hmm~ You, I guess~?” His eyes crinkled as he giggled, bringing a hand up to cover his mouth. The shutter went off again.

“...W...What do you like about me?” Kazuki was unprepared and couldn’t help but stutter, his own face heating up.

“Hm~” Sora tilted his head “You’re kind, and pretty, and your collection of novelty pens is really cute too~.” His eyes followed Kazuki as he walked around Sora, framing him from different angles, shutter clicking rhythmically. “You’re a wonderful person to be around~. You give the best hugs, and never fail to make me feel loved…” He averted his eyes, looking off into the sea. “What isn’t there to like about you, really~.”

After a few more clicks, Kazuki walked back over to Sora to show him the new photographs he’d taken. Sora leaned into him to see them, squinting and shielding the screen to block out the sun as it continued its descent below the horizon.

“These really do look better~. Good job, Kazuki-sensei~.” He rested his hand on Kazuki’s forearm in lieu of being able to hold his hand as both were on the camera, laughing lightly as he flicked between the shots. “Oh, this one is nice~. You’ll be replacing me in no time~.”

“...I could never. And you improved as well,” Kazuki clicked through them in order to show him. “You really loosened up.”

Kazuki was right. He shouldn’t be surprised, considering it was his own advice that he’d used on countless models, but talking about something - or someone - he loved had improved his posture and body language more than he could ever believe. 

Upon reaching the end of their little impromptu shoot, he removed the camera from around his neck and placed it back around Sora’s, gently tucking his hair out of the way as he did so as for it not to get caught on the strap. Once secure, he took Sora’s hand in his, tenderly leaning his head against the other’s as he took in the ocean’s breeze. He found himself determined to continue to take photos of and with Sora, improving his own photography skill as Sora became more comfortable with being the one in front of the lens. This was just one of many moments he wished to capture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorrryyyy i cant write kisses lmao. also overuse of italics smh. never established it in the fic itself but amehiko chris and sora work together idk how exactly but they do. chris marine photographer uhhh amehiko.. is there... vibing.. being a dumb old man


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smth light and simple. Prompt from anon - kazuki finding sora asleep at his desk with his homework out.

As the sky began to stain a tie dye of bright reds and oranges fading into the faintest hint of purple, Kazuki returned home, unlocking the door to the third floor apartment he had shared with Sora for the past few months.

“...I’m home”

To Kazuki’s surprise, he was met with silence. He was pretty sure that Sora had only had a half-day at the office that day, and he had more trust in his memory than most.

Kazuki closed the front door behind him, slipping out of his shoes and into his house slippers, his pair denoted by the small mushroom patch that Sora had found and attached to the top by where his right big toe was. Sora’s own slippers weren’t there, so he called out again, a little louder this time, still receiving no response in return. Intrigued, he set his bag down, shoulder stiff from carrying his daily roster of books.

“Sora-san?” He called out lightly as he walked from the entryway into the main living space. The light to the bathroom wasn’t on, and there was a coffee mug on the kitchen counter that wasn’t there when Kazuki had left for the office, indicating that he was here.

He tentatively opened the door to the spare room that had become Sora’s study, met at last by an asleep Sora, his arms on his desk forming a makeshift pillow for his cheek, countless papers, printouts and pens splayed out around him, notes in various coloured pens scrawled on everything in sight. That was right, Sora had a paper due soon, and wanted to get it done earlier than needed in case Legenders were booked for anything else in the next two weeks.

Kazuki ran over his options in his head. He could leave Sora there, possibly with a blanket, but he knew from experience that it wouldn’t do his neck any good. He certainly couldn’t carry him further than maybe two steps before dropping him or falling over, they had both had to heavily rely on friends for help with moving furniture when first moving into the apartment. As much as he wanted to let Sora sleep, he decided that option three would be for the best - gently wake him up and encourage him to nap somewhere that wouldn’t kill his neck. 

“Sora-san…” Kazuki kept his voice low as he gently shook Sora awake. Sora returned a mumbled groan whilst Kazuki gently pulled him up into a sitting position. “...You’ll hurt your neck sleeping like that.”

No more words were needed as Sora groggily allowed himself to be half dragged to the bedroom, Kazuki on constant lookout to make sure that he didn’t trip over something with the way he had his eyes half open. Kazuki carefully guided Sora to the bed, where he sat down but didn’t let go of Kazuki’s hands. He would usually be too embarrassed to ask, but in his sleepy state he looked up at Kazuki through still half-lidded eyes and fumbled out a question.

“...Kazuki-sensei...Join me…?”

And well, who was Kazuki to refuse?


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something else very short and simple that I wrote to try and get into a writing mood. Prompt from this shindanmaker https://shindanmaker.com/831289 "今日のtsksr  
レンタルDVDの中身が違っていて、普段見ないジャンルの映画だったけれど結局二人で最後まで見る。" , renting out a DVD from a different genre they don't usually watch, but still watching it all the way until the end.
> 
> happy wfs anni! gay people..

Taking Kazuki to most storefronts typically ended in disaster, due to Kazuki’s weakness for any and all marketing and love of shopping - and occasionally Sora’s, as he was weak to stationery shopping, and was becoming moreso the more that they shopped together. Kazuki would tend to emerge from a store arms swamped with enough bags to significantly weigh him down, meaning that they had to take breaks while walking to the train station to go back home. The little DVD rental place tucked away near the office at least negated this issue, with its’ strict three at a time policy.

The pair ambled down the aisles laughing over weird titles and box art of B movies in their search for their lazy date night's entertainment until something caught Kazuki’s eye, a romance-driven movie that Sora vaguely remembered seeing advertised when it had released a year or so ago.

Kazuki explained that it was an adaptation of a popular novel that he had read and thought highly of, and was curious as to how the adaptation would hold up in comparison. It wasn’t Sora’s usual taste, but Kazuki made it sound intriguing, and such they headed back to Sora and his brother’s apartment with it and a backup movie in case it wasn’t any good - as well as a full bag each of stationery, since they had passed Sora’s favourite stationery store on the way to the station and were unable to resist temptation.

\---

“...A most impressive adaptation.” Kazuki smiled as the credits began to roll, looking over at Sora.

“...Sora-san, are you… crying?”

“.......No...”

Sora hid his face in his hands, clearly crying and equally clearly embarrassed about it. He felt the sofa shift as Kazuki stood up, returning moments later with tissues, each printed with little cartoon otters holding hands and dancing. Sora peeked out from underneath his palms and accepted them gratefully, rubbing at his eyes a little too forcefully. Kazuki sat down next to him and placed one hand on his back, rubbing it in small circles.

“...It’s okay, the ending really shocked me the first time too, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” His hand moved to stroking through Sora’s hair in repetitive motions. “...Sometimes it can be good to cry too.”

“I feel like I’ve never seen you cry though, Kazuki-sensei~” Sora’s voice adopted a teasing tone. “Sure you don’t need to cry too~?”

“...Is that a threat?” Kazuki shot his own teasing smile right back at him.

Sora tugged him down with a laugh of his own in response, shifting and entwining their limbs on the small sofa - Sora’s chin pressed somewhere into Kazuki’s jaw, and Kazuki’s elbow digging into Sora’s stomach, both still grinning.

Though not entirely comfortable, it was rather comforting, and as neither felt like moving, they lay there chatting idly until falling asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like sleepytime fics.. i think most of these are sleep related huh...


	10. nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> vaguely doing a prompt list thing to kill time during lockdown. vaguely edited sorry im v lazy
> 
> Set an undetermined time before letter live.
> 
> hc for Kazuki having left his dad’s place and having moved into a nice apartment with his royalties. He lives a bit out and rides on the train into Tokyo which is why he can even have a nice spacious place in the first place lol.
> 
> TWs: Kazuki canon compliant tws for child abuse + hinted gaslighting from his dad ? I was thinking about the gaslighting so it might've come through

Kazuki ripped the mask off of his face, fingers tearing into his flesh as he tugged it away with all of the strength he had. Yet it, like the one before, and the one before that, was quickly replaced with another, liquid to the touch but quickly hardening as it perfectly moulded itself around his face.

“You don’t want to leave me, do you, Kazuki?” An all too familiar voice whispered into his ear as a stack of pristine white paper landed in front of him out of nowhere. A hand similar to his own appeared out of nowhere, setting a simple ink pen down on top of the stack. “They’re waiting for you, _I’m_ waiting for you, Kazuki.”

“...I’m sorry, I don’t want to do this anymore.” Kazuki tried to speak out, but found his mouth unable to move due to the oppressive, airtight plastic surrounding it. His arms suddenly felt too heavy to lift them up to the mask to attempt to remove it again.

“That’s right, all you have to do is write. Everyone’s counting on you.”

Kazuki’s arms started to move of their own accord, pulled by some invisible force - perhaps a ghost - to take the pen, to go back to his old life, to refuse to think about the implications of ghostwriting for his father, to-

“..sei? Kazuki-sensei…?”

Kazuki awoke with a start, squinting immediately as he opened his eyes to the bright light of his bedside lamp. Halfway blocking the light was Sora, face impossible to see due to being backlit by the lamp, but concern evident in his voice. He had sat up from lying down, arm propping himself up as he leaned slightly over Kazuki, other hand on his shoulder from where he had shook him awake.

“You... You looked like you were having a nightmare, are you… okay?” Sora fumbled out, clearly unprepared for what he should do once Kazuki was awake and confused in his own half-awake state.

“...I…” Kazuki’s instinct was to recount the nightmare to Sora, but he froze up. He _wanted_ to tell Sora, but this was his deepest, most well-kept secret, known only to his unitmates and the Producer. Sora’s hand began to trace circles on Kazuki’s shoulder.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to tell me~.”

“...I want to, it’s just…a lot.” Far too complicated for a whatever-time-it-was conversation, that was.

Sora pulled him into a hug, or as much of a hug as he could manage whilst Kazuki was laying down, tucking Kazuki’s head just under his chin. His hand moved from Kazuki’s shoulder to the top of his head where it stroked his hair rhythmically, something that he knew comforted him.

“It’s okay, just breathe.”

Kazuki’s hand gripped the back of Sora’s pyjamas, looking for something tangible to anchor himself with, burying his face further into Sora’s neck. It, unlike the clinical coolness of the mask, surrounded him with a comforting warmth, constantly there for him. The scent of his shampoo in Sora’s hair brought with it a sense of familiarity, a sense of home. This was his family now. Not just Sora, of course, but his unit, the Producer, the entire production. Whilst he still held onto hope of reconciling with his father, he was no longer dependent on him as his sole family member. It was better for them both this way.

They lay there for a while, Sora's hands running through Kazuki’s hair, occasionally pressing a light kiss into his scalp.

“It’s actually,” Sora turned his head to glance at the alarm clock on Kazuki’s bedside table. “Starting to get early~. How does hot chocolate and cuddling on the sofa sound~?”

“...Perfect.” Kazuki smiled, reluctant to let go but aware that they would be in a much more comfortable position for the both of them if they followed Sora’s plan.

Sora took Kazuki’s hand and led him out into the combined kitchen and living area, Kazuki choosing to perch himself on a stool in the kitchen to be close to Sora whilst he was boiling the water for their drinks rather than sitting on the sofa and being away from him. Something about seeing Sora navigate Kazuki’s kitchen like it was his own, picking out the matching mugs that they had bought on a date to the local aquarium from the mug stand, taking the hot chocolate mix from the cupboard under the kettle, and finally reaching up on his toes to grab the marshmallows - Kazuki’s favourite - made Kazuki’s heart swell. He found himself once more considering whether he should ask if Sora wanted to move in with him, although Sora’s brother would likely be suspicious if he moved out of their tiny shared apartment all of a sudden.

A few minutes of absent-mindedly watching Sora carefully measure, pour and mix later, and Kazuki was following Sora to the sofa. Sora placed both mugs down on the coffee table, shooting a wink at Kazuki as he sat his mug down before sitting himself down, turning the TV on for a bit of much-welcomed background noise. Kazuki peered into his mug and quickly realised why Sora had winked at him, as he had added far more marshmallows than usual into the rich liquid. He looped his fingers through the wide handle and lifted the mug, warmth filling his hands, and graciously began to take sips, the warmth now filling his entire body. 

The mug itself was covered in cute little drawings of otters, and as it heated up from hot water inside, the phrase ‘I love you like no otter’ showed up in a handwritten blue font, matching Sora’s, which had little hand drawn penguins with ‘Waddle I do without you’ showing up in the same blue font once heated. They had laughed at how cheesy they seemed at first, but had very quickly seriously fallen for them in the gift shop, justifying it by saying that Sora visited too much for him _not_ to have a designated mug at Kazuki’s apartment.

After taking enough sips of his beverage to prevent spillage, Kazuki gravitated towards Sora, leaning his head on Sora’s shoulder again, taking deep breaths. 

“...The dream was about my father,” Kazuki began. Sora remained silent, nodding. “...I want to tell you everything, but I need more time to organise my thoughts. It’s rather complicated, and due to who he is, I’ve only told a select few people about it. I haven’t completely found peace with it yet, and I tend to place more blame on myself than is necessary, but I think that it’s important for me to tell you. Especially you.” It was made harder, somewhat, with the knowledge gnawing at the back of his head that his father - his actual father, not Kazuki’s ghostwritten works - was Sora’s favourite author.

“You can take as long as you need.” Sora smiled. “I’ll always be here for you, and I want you to know that~.” Sora slipped his left hand into Kazuki’s right, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“...I love you.” Kazuki set his mug back down after another few sips, eagerly crawling back into a similar position as the one they had been in just fifteen minutes prior, Kazuki’s face buried in Sora’s neck and arms around his waist.

Sora let out a breathy laugh as he carefully maneuvered his drink safely onto the coffee table, sure not to disturb a very comfortable Kazuki. His now free hand instinctively drawn back to petting his hair, Sora returned the sentiment, Kazuki’s long eyelashes and breath tickling his neck in a way that only drew out fondness from his heart.

“I love you too~.”

As their forgotten drinks cooled, the cheesy animal puns faded back into hiding.


End file.
